S.B. No. 282
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to a prohibition against the appropriation of money to
  settle or pay a sexual harassment claim made against certain
  members of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state
  government and to a prohibition against the use of other public
  money to settle such a claim.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle B, Title 5, Government Code, is amended
  by adding Chapter 576 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 576.  PROHIBITION ON APPROPRIATION OF MONEY TO SETTLE OR PAY
  SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS
         Sec. 576.0001.  PROHIBITION ON APPROPRIATION OF MONEY TO
  SETTLE OR PAY SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS. The legislature may not
  appropriate money and a state agency may not use appropriated money
  to settle or otherwise pay a sexual harassment claim made against a
  person who:
               (1)  is an elected member of the executive,
  legislative, or judicial branch of state government;
               (2)  is appointed by the governor to serve as a member
  of a department, commission, board, or other public office within
  the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government;
  or
               (3)  serves as staff for a person described by
  Subdivision (1) or (2).
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 180, Local Government Code, is amended
  by adding Section 180.008 to read as follows:
         Sec. 180.008.  PROHIBITION ON USE OF PUBLIC MONEY TO SETTLE
  OR PAY SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS. (a) In this section, "political
  subdivision" means a county, municipality, school district, other
  special district, or other subdivision of state government.
         (b)  A political subdivision may not use public money to
  settle or otherwise pay a sexual harassment claim made against a
  person who is:
               (1)  an elected or appointed member of the governing
  body of the political subdivision; or
               (2)  an officer or employee of the political
  subdivision.
         SECTION 3.  Section 12.1058(a), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  An open-enrollment charter school is considered to be:
               (1)  a local government for purposes of Chapter 791,
  Government Code;
               (2)  a local government for purposes of Chapter 2259,
  Government Code, except that an open-enrollment charter school may
  not issue public securities as provided by Section 2259.031(b),
  Government Code;
               (3)  a political subdivision for purposes of Chapter
  172, Local Government Code; [and]
               (4)  a local governmental entity for purposes of
  Subchapter I, Chapter 271, Local Government Code; and
               (5)  a political subdivision for purposes of Section
  180.008, Local Government Code.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 282 passed the Senate on
  April 29, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that
  the Senate concurred in House amendments on May 27, 2021, by the
  following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 282 passed the House, with
  amendments, on May 23, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 145,
  Nays 0, one present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor